Top Newsmakers

Barack Obama

From shaking up the very foundations of the Indian government to stirring up unseemly controversies, from showing incredible courage in the face of extreme adversities to losing a reputation built over years of hard work in just a blink of an eye, from setting the electoral hustings afire with golden speeches to getting into trouble for not speaking at all, there were many 'newsmakers' in 2012 who caught the common man's imagination. Some made it for stellar reasons, others for all there is wrong with the society. Here are 12 'newsmakers' that deserve a mention.

Poll pundits called it the closest presidential race in US history but in the end President Barack Obama easily defeated Mitt Romney to win himself a second term at the White House after a bitter, historically and hugely expensive race. What is surprising is the fact that Obama won the polls on the issue that was supposed to vote him out of power - the slowing US economy. But then in the US, voters have historically voted for incumbent candidates who preside over even modest economic growth during an election year.

The law graduate with mixed racial background played his cards right where it mattered the most. Obama campaigned heavily on the auto bailout in Ohio, where 1 in 8 jobs is tied to the industry. The results show that US voters ignored the failures of Obama and have given him more time finish what he had embarked to do.

What Obama did brilliantly was he made the Americans believe that better days were ahead for the economy and the coalition of young, female and minority voters that propelled Obama to victory four years ago also turned out again, in huge numbers.

Obama scored impressive victories across the country, so much so that the big build-up over Ohio, Virginia and Florida fizzled out into a no-contest. Obama reached the 270 electoral votes needed for election even without those three states, rolling up wins in Democratic strongholds and carrying Nevada, Iowa and Colorado.

What made this win more special was that the victory was accomplished in the face of such a high unemployment rate and the historical winds that Obama faced as no US president won a second term with unemployment rate of over 7.2 per cent since Franklin Roosevelt in 1936.

In his victory speech, a triumphant Obama said that best was yet to come and thanked every American and vowed to work to tackle issues that the country faces.

From shaking up the very foundations of the Indian government to stirring up unseemly controversies, from showing incredible courage in the face of extreme adversities to losing a reputation built over years of hard work in just a blink of an eye, from setting the electoral hustings afire with golden speeches to getting into trouble for not speaking at all, there were many 'newsmakers' in 2012 who caught the common man's imagination. Some made it for stellar reasons, others for all there is wrong with the society. Here are 12 'newsmakers' that deserve a mention. More »

Trying to pick twelve travel destinations in India is a little like choosing the twelve best feathers on a peacock’s train, but pick we must. The most dramatic phenomenon we’ve observed in 2012 is the rising number of Indians choosing their own country for a great holiday. At one end of the spectrum, they are hitchhiking and backpacking. At the other they are patronising the most luxurious hotels and resorts once reserved for tourists brandishing wads of foreign exchange. Keen to experiment, they are experiencing everything from scuba-diving to cycling. Many are taking to wildlife and landscape photography with a passion. Here’s our selection of the 12 most captivating Indian holiday destinations of 2012. Feel free to argue but, most importantly, get up and pack! More »

It was an eventful year in the world of finance and business, one that actively involved all three actors: the government, people and even the common man. From violent employee agitations to controversial reform proposals and volatile economic indicators, we compile the twelve defining news events of 2012. More »